Pierced
by midnightnightfury1
Summary: What if the arrow had pierced more than just Randy's backpack? What if Randy had actually been struck by the arrow? Now Dora and her friends must wonder through the Jungle searching for her parents, but this time the stakes have never been higher. Because in the Jungle wounds may be unbearable but infection is a death sentence.


All Randy could feel was a wetness dripping down his back as the log continued to roll. The cold wetness on his back and the arrows whizzing past his head caused the teenager to panic, as he let out a panicked shout of "I've been hit!"

Diego, the only one to register what his classmate had said reached behind and felt the same patch of damp clothing. Randy looks at Diego waiting for the verdict, but wishes he hadn't when he sees the color drain from the older teen's face as Diego pulls his hand back, covered in the vital red liquid. Before either teen had time to react the log came to a quick stop. Alejandro was the first to stumble out, followed by a jostled Sammy and a concerned Dora. Diego stumbles out of the log trying to help Randy up. The two boys walk over, Randy stumbling, clutching his ribs, trying to conceal the bleeding wound, a strained smile on his face. Boots looks at Randy before jumping onto Dora's shoulders where he starts shrieking without warning.

"Boots calm down!" yelped Dora, surprised by the relatively calm monkey's outburst. Boots stops shrieking before staring at Dora, whimpering. "Good Boots, now tell me what's wrong?" whispered Dora to the distraught monkey as the other teenagers and Alejandro watch the exchange. The monkey doesn't make a sound but points an accusing finger at Randy. Dora glances at Randy, just now realizing his stiff posture.

"Randy, is everything okay?" asked Dora.

"Yeah, yep everything's fine. Why wouldn't everything be fine? Nope all good here!" said Randy, his voice going up in pitch with each statement.

"Oh alright then. Come one everybody let's go!" shouted Dora, fooled by Randy's lies, her concern now replaced by glee.

"No, Dora, everything's not fine! Randy's been shot!" shouted Diego, his frustration at the situation and concern for his classmate visible in his voice. With that everyone let out a horrified gasp.

"Randy, is that true?" whispered Dora, concern for her friend beginning to take over.

Unable to lie to the girl he's been crushing on for weeks, all Randy can manage to mumble out is a, "Yes Dora, it's true," his head hung in a mix of shame for lying to his friends and the pain of his now aching side.

"Then we must act quickly! A dirty wound is a fatal one!" said Dora with a clap of her hand, hoping her happy tone will hide the deep worry building deep in her stomach.

"Not helping!" snapped Sammy, trying to hide her growing concern as well.

"Come on Randy, off with your shirt!" ordered Dora, unbeknownst to her she began to blush, causing Boots to giggle. "Boots, quit it!" snapped Dora at the colorful young monkey, causing Boots to go silent, his lip quivering. "Oh Boots, I'm so sorry. I didn't-," Dora whispered, comforting the monkey but was cut off by a whimper from Randy.

The boy had removed his jacket and lifted his shirt, revealing the arrow wound which is jagged and torn from the arrow being jostled while rolling in the log while still in Randy's back, only his backpack saving him from the arrow being forced much deeper when his back collided with the inside of the log. The wound itself, which despite being fresh, was coated in dirt and debris from the log, looked irritated and painful as blood steadily leaked from it.

"No," gasped Sammy her hand going to her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears.

"That's not good," muttered Alejandro, removing his hat and hanging his head.

"I'm sorry man," said Diego shaking his head.

"It's okay, sure it hurts, okay, hurts a lot, but I'm going to be fine, right. Right?" yelped Randy, trying to keep things positive, but faltering when he saw the tears in his classmate's, especially Dora's, eyes.

"Oh Randy..." whispered Dora, "I...I'm afraid to pull the arrowhead out, I'm going to have to leave it in. We can break the arrow but is we try to remove the arrowhead, I'm afraid of making it worse…" wailed Dora, finally losing her composure, at seeing the pain in her first friend's (aside from Diego) eyes.

Seeing the pain and despair in his crush's eyes, Randy finally cracked, asking the dreaded question, "It's bad isn't it?" Dora's sobs giving him the answer he was dreading.

"Wounds like that are dangerous, we don't know what we could damage removing the arrowhead, but if we don't treat it...well infection would be a death sentence," muttered Alejandro.

"Well then I guess be better clean and bandage it immediately then. Boots grab me some banana leaves, Diego, gather all our first aid supplies, Sammy, help me keep him steady," ordered Dora a new, desperate resolve taking over the teenager.

"And I'll find us a place to camp," said Alejandro putting his hat back on preparing to march off.

"And I'll just lay down for a bit…" muttered Randy swaying, his slurred words not heard by everyone else, who were intently listening to Dora.

A loud thump suddenly echoes through the clearing, causing the four individuals to freeze in their tracks as Randy collapses face first onto the Jungle floor. The last thing Randy hears before his vision fades and he sinks into blissful unconsciousness are Dora's panicked cries.


End file.
